Internships

An internship is a supervised real-world experience related to a student’s major or area of career interest. Internships are a valuable way to learn about a job or career and determine if it is a good “fit” for a student's skills and interests. Students will also form relationships with professionals who may help connect them to other companies, industries or experiences of interest. Having an internship on a resume demonstrates work-related knowledge and skills which will increase marketability.

Receiving Academic Credit for Internship

*Architecture, Music Therapy and Education majors do not register internships through Career Planning & Development. These students need to speak with his/her advisor regarding credit requirements and options.

Student Requirements

Interns must have at least 60 credit hours, completed appropriate coursework and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 prior to registering for academic credit. Also, approval must be obtained from the student's faculty sponsor and required forms must be completed by the deadline.

Internship Sites

The sites are numerous and varied, as are the majors of the students involved. Sites may be local, national, or even international. Students must complete all hours at one site in the semester registered. The site must be approved by the faculty sponsor, advisor and department chair.

Once approval to complete the internship is given by the faculty sponsor* and the hiring process is finished, students should complete the appropriate forms based on his/her major. It is highly recommended to start this process early in order to meet the registration deadline each semester.

Breech School of Business: Day school students registering for the Professional Business Experience class (MGMT 480 or ACCT 480) need to complete the Internship Learning Contract/ Agreement, as well as register for the course.

Behavioral Science Students: Day school students registering for internship credit in Psychology, Criminology or Sociology (PSYC 380/480) need to complete the Internship Learning Contract/ Agreement, as well as register for the course.

*Questions regarding faculty sponsors can be directed to the student's advisor or department chair.

Deadlines

The deadline to submit all required forms aligns with the Registrar's last day to add a course each semester. Refer to the Academic Calendar for deadlines. All forms must be completed and submitted to Career Planning & Development prior to the beginning of the work experience and no later than the last day to add a course. Students who fail to complete the forms before the deadline will be ineligible to receive academic course credit for the internship. Internship credit will not be granted retroactively, which means students must be registered for the internship the same semester the internship is completed.

Tuition/Credits

Internships last one semester and carry three or six hours of class credit. Students work 135 clock hours for three hours of credit or 270 clock hours for six hours of credit. Students must complete all hours at one site during the semester registered. A student may apply two internships (a total of six semester hours of credit) toward graduation. Tuition rates for internship are the same as all other academic courses.

Grades/ Evaluations

Students will receive a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade on the internship. Grades are given by the faculty sponsor. Grades are based on the work done at the site and any additional assignments required by the faculty sponsor. For example, students may be asked to keep a journal of work-related activities and to write a final paper or report. Sometimes a project completed for the employer can act as a final paper.

A mid-term and final performance evaluation will be completed by the site supervisor and forwarded to the faculty sponsor. Supervisors are encouraged to share this information with students. It is a good way to review strengths and focus on areas needing improvement.

Students are asked to complete a final evaluation of his/her internship experience and are encouraged to communicate with faculty sponsors and/or Career Planning & Development throughout the semester with any concerns or problems.